State Officials Discuss Third Cape Bridge

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CAPE COD – State officials from the Department of Transportation met with Cape delegates last week to discuss preliminary proposals for a third bridge over the Cape Cod Canal.

State Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, said the planning stages for a possible new bridge are very early.

“It’s something maybe a little beyond a back of an envelop sketch, but this is very, very preliminary,” Peake said. “The notion of the financing is preliminary. The notion of the location is preliminary.”

Two of the proposals discussed would place a new bridge next to the Sagamore Bridge or in between the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges.

Peake said the upcoming elections could have a major impact on the planning.

“We have and election in a little less than a month and there will be a new administration come January 7th this year when the new governor is sworn in,” Peake said. “Who knows what will happen with a new administration.”

Possible funding ideas were also discussed including a public/private partnership where a private entity would fund the construction of the bridge and would be paid for from tolls.

“The reason the state is looking to a public/private partnership is it would enable the planning and the eventual construction of a third bridge to happen sometime between now and lets say 10 years out,” Peake said. “As opposed to getting on the list of bonded projects which might be 20 years before we could even start to look at this.”

Peake said her constituents reaction to the idea of a third bridge has been mixed, but she supports the idea because of safety issues with the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges.